Naughty Marietta

Home , Emma Trentini, Orville Harrold, Oscar Hammerstein I, Rida Johnson Young, Rudolf Friml, The Firefly (operetta)

Naughty Marietta

An Operetta in Two Acts

Theatre Arts Press Publisher of Classic and Noteworthy Musicals www.theatreartspress.com Naughty Marietta

ISBN 978-1-312-07670-9

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or yet be to invented, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system.

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2 Naughty Marietta

Hailed as the great American operetta of the pre-World War I era, Naughty Marietta opened to glowing reviews. The New York Times proclaimed it a “sensational successes.” Out of the forty operettas Victor Herbert wrote, Naughty Marietta was among his most successful and longest-running. It endured in popularity for over fifty decades and became a staple of musical theatre companies across the globe.

While George M. Cohan was moving the American musical to a genuinely native theme, sentimental and romantic operettas where still very much in vogue when Naughty Marietta opened on Broadway in 1910.

Due to mounting debts, the great opera impresario Oscar Hammerstein I went from producing grand operas to comic operas. He brought together the talents of composer Victor Herbert and playwright Rida Johnson Young to create a theatre piece for the two opera stars he had under contract, Emma Trentini and Orville Harrold.

Young wrote a first draft entitled “Little Paris” which focused on a French princess forced to marry a man she does not love, and who escapes to New Orleans where she masquerades as casqueette girl. The libretto incorporated all things operetta; old world settings, disguised swashbuckling noblemen, romantic passions, comic subplots and narrative twists where love triumphs all. The title was soon changed to the more saucy sounding Naughty Marietta.

Herbert and his opera star Trentini argued from the start. She complained to newspapers that her role was scored to high. Herbert then refused to change a note. On the last night of the production, Herbert, as he had done on opening night, conducted the orchestra. When Trentini refused to sing an encore, Herbert became visibly angry, and both he and Trentini stormed out of the theatre. Herbert made up his mind never to work with the temperamental star again, refusing to score her next operetta The Firefly.

In the end, Hammerstein got just what he wanted, a box office success, a reprieve from creditors, and a new future as an impresario of light opera on Broadway.

While Naughty Marietta was Young’s first libretto, she went on to write the books for some of the most popular musicals of the first part of the 20th century with composers Jerome Kern, Sigmund Romberg, and Rudolf Friml. Her career was cut short when she passed away in 1926.

3 Naughty Marietta

PRODUCTION HISTORY

Naughty Marietta opened November 7, 1910 at the Olympia (Now the New York Theatre) produced by Oscar Hammerstein I, under the direction of Jacques Coini.

It was choreographed by Pauline Verhoeven. Scenic Design by Julius Dowe and Theodore Reisig with costume design by Will R. Barnes

Emma Trentini (Marietta) Orvilel Harrold (Captain Dick)

4 Naughty Marietta

PHOTOS FROM THE 1910 PRODUCTION

5 Naughty Marietta

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Etienne Grandet Adah Captain Dick Sir Harry Blake Lizette Lieutenant-Governor Grandet Marietta Rudolfo Felice Nanette Fanchon 1st Pirate 2nd Pirate Secretary Night Watchman Town Crier Knife Grinder Servant East Indian Flower Girls Italian Man Fruit Venders Sugarcane Venders Captain Dick’s Men Street Sweepers Pirates Gentlemen of the Ball Beggars Chorus

6 Naughty Marietta

ACT I The Place d’Armes, New Orleans. About 1780.

ACT II

Scene 1 The Marionette Theatre.

Scene 2 The Ballroom.

7 Naughty Marietta

MUSICAL NUMBERS

Act I

Opening Chorus……………………..... Chorus Tramp, Tramp, Tramp……………….. Captain Dick and Men Taisez-Vous……………………………Casquette Maids and Men Naughty Marietta…………………….. Marietta Never, Never Can Be Love…………... Marietta and Dick I Wish I Was Anybody Else But Me…. Silas and Lizette ‘Neath The Southern Moon…………...Adah Italian Street Song…………………….. Marietta Finale to Act I………………………….All

Act II

Dance of the Marionettes…………….. Rudolfo and Marietta You Marry a Marionette……………… Etienne New Orleans Jeunesse Doree………... Gentlemen The Loves of New Orleans…………... Chorus In The Sweet Bye and Bye…………… Silas and Lizette Live For Today...... Marietta I’m Falling In Love With Someone…...Dick It’s Pretty Soft For Silas……………….. Silas Finale………………………………….. All

8 Naughty Marietta

ACT I

The Place d’Armes, New Orleans. About 1780.

A broad open space with the levee at back. There is a path along this levee bordered on both sides by tall trees, some of which are draped with the gray Southern moss. There is just a glimpse of the Mississippi between these trees. Along the levee from time to time as act progresses, people of various nationalities past. At extreme left is an arcaded street in which are booths for flower sellers, cake and confectionary and other trades. Over this arcade are the high latticed windows of dwellings in old Creole style. There is a door at left into one of these houses. At right is the getaway entrance to the St. Louis Cathedral. Up stage center is a large fountain. The top of the fountain is in the form of a large urn. The pedestal leading from the basin to the urn must be large enough for a person to stand up in. The fountain is dry.

At rise of curtain it is just dawn. The sky shows crimson and gold over the river. Some BEGGARS are asleep at base of fountain. The music is soft and low. A NIGHT WATCHMEN enters with lantern.

“OPENING CHORUS”

NIGHT WATCHMAN. Five o’clock and a fine clear morning. All’s well. (BEGGARS bestir themselves and sit up yawning. LAMPLIGHTER comes in and placing his little ladder against side of house, extinguishes lantern. SACRISTAN comes shuffling across stage and with great key unlocks the door of cathedral. FLOWER GIRLS’ VOICES offstage. At entrance of FLOWER GIRLS the sun breaks forth and the stage becomes bright.) 1ST FLOWER GIRL. (Offstage.) Jessamine, jessamine and roses. 2ND FLOWER GIRL. (Offstage.) Rose of May, blushing posies. 1ST FLOWER GIRL. (Nearer.) Jessamine, jessamine and roses. 2ND FLOWER GIRL. Sweet flowers, fresh flowers. Roses. Flowers. 1ST FLOWER VENDER. Sweet flowers.

9 Naughty Marietta

1ST GIRL. Roses! SEVERAL MEN. Flowers. (CHORUS enters in twos and threes forming little groups. MAN enters with donkey, baskets on donkey, filled with flowers which he sells to flower girls.) FLOWERS GIRLS. Come, come, come for the morning is breaking. Haste, haste, haste, for the day is awaking. Youth, life, love, everywhere! Garlands of roses rare, Fragrance upon the air shaking. Come, come, come, come, come! Haste! Sweet, sweet, sweet, now ‘tis springtime enthralling. Peep, peep, peep, now the love birds are calling. Cull your flowers, while you may, Short, ah, too short the day. Pedals will fade away, falling. ITALIAN MAN. (With cage of parrots.) Paroquettes, paroquettes, happy fortunes telling. 1ST FRUIT VENDER. Fresh figs! Oranges! SUGARCANE VENDER. Sugarcane! Sugarcane! GIRLS. Come here, I’ll buy! Don't pass us by! STREET SWEEPERS. Clear the way! Clear out! Clear the way! Clear out and clear the way! Oh, clear the way, clear out! I say you foolish venders crying. We have to sweep the dust away To clear the way, clear the way The casket maidens come today, To make all fresh and fair and gay we’re trying. ITALIAN MAN. Paroquettes, paroquettes, happy fortunes telling.